St. Croix Rod, parent company to the Seviin Reels, St. Croix Fly, and Rod Geeks brands, announced the promotions of Ryan Teach and Dan Johnston.
Teach, formerly product and brand Manager, was appointed to the newly created position of vice president of Innovation. Former National Sales Manager Dan Johnston has been appointed director of sales.
“St. Croix has always been and will always be an angler-focused company,” said St. Croix CEO Scott Forristall. “We have grown significantly over the past five years, but that growth hasn’t come from any simple desire to become larger. It’s been a deliberate response to the needs of anglers, fueled by our unique ability and desire to provide new and better products that help them enjoy fishing even more. That takes imagination and innovation, but it also requires experienced leadership. Ryan and Dan have proven their ability to spearhead the desired growth of our brands through creative execution and by always putting anglers at the forefront of our decision-making.”
As a new company executive leadership team member, Teach, shown right, will lead product development for all St. Croix brands.
“I’m grateful to the executive team for entrusting this role to me, but I’m most excited about what actually having a newly created vice president of Innovation means to our anglers,” Teach said. “It’s an outward show of our continued commitment to support anglers with new products that deliver better fishing experiences on all fronts. Our product, engineering, operations, marketing, and sales teams are completely aligned in this commitment, and everything we’ve done during my tenure with St. Croix has been for that purpose.
“Whether it’s been Trigon, SCIII+, SCIV+, the Grasp 2 angler-adaptive reel seat, agglomerated cork, re-entering the premium fly-rod market, starting an all-new reel company from the ground up, or doubling down on its commitment to provide the best angler service and warranty in the business, St. Croix continues to lead by listening to anglers and developing programs and products that increase their satisfaction in one way or another. It’s why each of us comes to work here every day,” said Teach. “And despite all the innovation anglers and dealers have witnessed from St. Croix over the past couple of years, our ceiling remains high. The freshwater and saltwater products we’ll release in the coming year will bring all-new levels of performance and satisfaction to anglers.”
A 25-year St. Croix sales team veteran, Johnston, shown bottom right, will direct sales for the company’s St. Croix and Seviin brands.
“I’ve committed the great majority of my career to St. Croix because of my love affair with the brand and its people,” said Johnston. “St. Croix’s values align with my own, and because of that, this has never felt like work. I’m surrounded every day by an incredible team, which includes everyone from our passionate and skilled employees to our anglers to our hardworking reps and dealer partners. It really is a family here, and we work, learn, and grow together.”
Despite the new title and additional responsibilities, Johnston commented that his overarching role has stayed the same. “I’ll be doing what I’ve always done: working creatively day in and day out to help our dealers and our anglers succeed,” he said. “The fishing industry is changing, and part of my job is helping our partners navigate those changes. But fishing—at its core—remains the same; it will always be about fun and the other unique rewards it delivers to each angler. That can never be overlooked or forgotten. But from an angler’s perspective, it’s becoming difficult to know if a brand they used and trusted yesterday is the same company that’s worthy of their trust and business today. It’s our job at St. Croix—every day—to prove that we are.”
“Working with the rest of our team, Ryan and Dan have consistently developed and delivered the kinds of meaningful innovation and leadership that create better fishing experiences for growing numbers of anglers,” stated Forristall. “The St. Croix executive team is excited to move Dan and Ryan into these expanded roles where their creativity, work ethics, and fishing knowledge will accelerate and expand our mission and promise to give anglers the upper hand on the water.”
Brothers Bob and Bill Johnson founded St. Croix in 1948, initially selling landing nets. The company’s headquarters are located in Wisconsin. St. Croix also has a factory in Fresnillo, Mexico.
Images courtesy St. Croix Rod
